David essex



(No Model.)

D. ESSEX.

CORSET CLASP.

WITNESSES I Patented Sept. 19 1893,

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INVENTOH:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ESSEX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORS ET-CLAS P.

SIEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,288, datedSeptember 19, 1893.

Application filed April 29, 1893.

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID ESSEX, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corset-Clasps; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make'and use'the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in corset clasps and hasfor its objectto provide a clasp of this class which will not becomeaccidentally disengaged, and one in which the stud and the eye of theclasp are brought into holding engagement in the usual manner, but aredisengaged by the manipulation of a pivoted holding plate, which whenraised by the wearer of the corset permits the withdrawal of the postfrom an opening or eye in the clasp.

The invention therefore consists of the improved form of corset claspherein, shown and claimed, as a new article of manufacture, and further,in combining with the eye-plate a fiat spring, which by its tensionprevents the post or stud when engaged in the eye-plate from becomingdisengaged therefrom, unless the pivoted holding plate is raised.

The invention is clearly illustrated 1n the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, in which similar letters of reference are employed to indicatecorresponding parts in each of the several views. 7

In said drawings, Figure l is a front view of the ordinary corset steelsprovided with several of my improved form of corset clasps. Fig. 2 is aplan view of part of a corset steel, provided with my improved form ofeye-plate and the pivoted holding plate in its closed position. Fig. 3is a cross-section of the corset steel and an edge view of saideye-plate and the holding plate in its closed position, and

Fig. 4: is a similar view of said parts, but said holding plate beingpresented 1n 1ts opened or raised position. Fig. 5 1s a longitudinalsection of said parts, illustrated in Fig. 2, and a sectional view ofthe corset-steel provlded with the post or stud, the postor stud beingSerial No, 472,294. (No model.)

inserted into one eye on said eye-plate, and about to be forced intoholding engagement with the spring-actuated and pivoted holding plate,and Fig. 6 isasimilar view of said parts illustrated in Fig. 5, showingthe relation of the several parts, when the post or stud is in itsholding or locked engagement with said pivoted holding plate. Fig. 7 isa similar view of said parts, illustrating the said pivoted holdingplate in its raised position,clearly illustrating the manner ofwithdrawing the post or stud from its holding or locked engagement withsaid spring-actuated and pivoted holding plate when the wearer desiresto remove the corset from the body. Fig. 8 is a detail view of theeye-plate, with the pivoted holding plate removed, and illustratingfurthermore, an eye-plate of a slightly modified form of construction,and Fig. 9 is a plan view of an eye-plate of still another form ofconstruction.

In said drawings, 1) and b are the corset steels, and a is my improvedform of eye-plate suitably attached to the corset steel 1) by means ofpins or rivets c, or secured thereto in any other well-known manner.Said eyeplate a is preferably made of alower plate 0. provided with theeye a for the reception of the ordinary form of post or stud d on thecorset steel 1) and communicating with said eye a by means of a slot orcut-away portion. a is a second eye or opening a as will be evident moreespecially from Figs. 5,6, et seq. Said plate a, is secured to the undersideof the steel 12; and secured to the upper side of said steel 19 bymeans of the same pins or rivets c is an upper plate a formed with twospring-like arms a and at having at their free ends lips or projectionsa which extend toward each other, as represented in Figs. 8 and 9, thepurpose of which will be described hereinafter. Formed integral withsaid upper plate a or secured thereto inany well-known manner, is aspring-plate a and on said lower plate a is a suitably arranged post orprojection a The pivoted plate e, herein above mentioned is madechamber-like, owing to a raised portion e formed in said plate, and inthe sides of said raised portion a are formed holes e into which thelips or projections a on said spring arms a and a are sprung topivotally connect said hinged or pivoted plate e to the eye-plate andespecially to saidarms a and a of the corset clasp. Said plate e isformed at the front with slight projections e for raising the plate andat the back of said plate e,its raised portion 6' is formed with aninclined surface e and a projecting lip'e which lip, when said plate 6is raised, rides on the surface of the lower eye-plate a, therebyforcing said upper plate a and the lower plate a apart, until said lip eon the pivoted plate (2 comes in contact with said stop-post orprojection a thereby retaining the parts of the clasp in their openrelation to one another, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7, until saidhinged or pivoted plate 8 is again forced down to its normal holdingposition.

When the corset is to be placed upon and secured to the body of thewearer, the head d of the post or stud d on the corset steel 1) ispassed through the eye a of the lower plate a and passed along the slotor opening a causing the under surface of the head d of said stud d torest upon said lip e on the hingeplate e and upon the end of saidspring-plate a, which prevents the disengagement or the displacement ofthe stud from the eye-plate of the clasp, as will be clearly seen fromFig. 6. In order to cause the disengagement of said parts, the hingedplate 6 is raised by a slight pressure and caused to assume the positionshown in said Figs. 4 and 7, when the head d of the post d can bedisengaged from its holding contact With the end of the springplate a,by sliding said head down the inclined surface e and finally passing itout of the opening or eye a in lower plate a, as will be understood. Inthis manner the pressure is removed from beneath the head d of the studd while at the same time the opening of said plate 6 actually forces thepost of the clasp, when the corset is upon the body of the wearer, toretain the head of the post or stud d against the lip e of said hingedplate e to prevent any accidental disengagement of the post or stud fromthe eye-plate of the corset clasp. In some cases, I may make said upperplate a of two pieces, each of which are provided with said spring-likearms a and a having the lips or projections a and which are arranged onand secured to the corset steel 1) in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 9.

The advantage of my improved clasp over the ordinary eye-plate and studis, that while the parts are placed in their holding engagement in theusual and Well-known manner, any ordinary or casual pressure upon thesteels or any portion of them will not cause the accidentaldisengagement of the post or stud from the eye-plate, and when thepivoted or. hinged plate 6 is raised the parts of the clasp areimmediately separated.

The parts of the clasp are preferably struck up from sheet metal andthey may be of any suitable configuration in outline. Said lower plate aand the upper plate (1, as shown in the drawings, are secured to theopposite sides of the corset steel b, but they maybe secured to one sideif desired, or they can be formed integral with each other, as will beevident.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A corset claspcomprising therein, an eyeplate, and a pivoted plate hinged to saideyeplate, in combination with a stud or post, a lip on said hinged plateadapted to normally project beneath the head of said stud or post,whereby said hinged plate is in holding engagement with said stud orpost when in its normal position, but when raised, causing thedisengagement of said post from the eye-plate, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. A corset clasp comprising therein an eyeplate, a pivoted plate hingedto said eyeplate and a spring plate connected. with said eye-plate, incombination with "a stud or post, a lip on said hinged plate adapted tonormally project beneath the head of said stud or post, whereby saidhinged plate is in holding engagement with said stud or post when in itsnormal position, but when raised, causing the disengagement of said postfrom said eye-plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A corset clasp comprising therein an eyeplate having communicatingeyes a and a arms a and a and a pivot plate hinged to said arms, incombination with a stud or post, a lip on said hinged plate adapted tonor mally project beneath the head of said stud or post, whereby saidhinged plate is in holding engagement with said stud or post when in itsnormal position, but when raised, causing the disengagement of said studor post from said eye-plate, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

4. A corset clasp, comprising therein, an eyeplate having communicatingeyes a and a a spring-plate at, arms a and a and a pivot plate hinged tosaid arms, in combination with a stud or post, said hinged plate beingin holding engagement with said stud or post when in its normalposition, but when raised, causing the disengagement of said stud orpost from said eye-plate, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. A corset clasp comprising therein an eyeplate, having a stop or posta thereon, and a pivot-plate e hinged thereto, said plate having araised portion 8, an inclined surface 6 and a projection orlip e incombination with a stud or post d, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

6. A corset clasp comprising therein a lower plate (1/, havingcommunicating eyes a and a and a post or stop a, an upper plate a havingarms a and a and a pivot plate e said plate having a raised portion 6',an inhinged to said arms, said plate having-a raised clined surface eand a projection or lip e, in portion 6, an inclined surface 6 and aprocombination with a stud or post (1, substanjection or lip 6 incombination with a stud tially as and for the purposes set forth. 15 5or post d, substantially as and for the pur- In testimony that I claimthe invention set poses set forth. forth above I have hereunto set myhand 7. A corset clasp comprising thereinalower this 26th day of April,1893.

plate a having communicating eyes a and DAVID ESSEX. a and a post orstop a an upper plate a Witnesses: 10 having arms a and a and aspring-plate 0?, WM. H. GAMFIELD, J r.,

a pivot plate e hinged to said arms a and a FREDK; C. FRAENTZEL.

